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Living Healthy: Tips for staying safe in extreme heat

BOSTON (WHDH) — Extreme heat is not only uncomfortable – it can be deadly.

“Your body sort of gears up and changes what it does to control the rising temp, we sweat a lot, our pores open up, we breath heavy, a lot of things that your body is doing to try to unload the heat. It gets to a point when the body can only do so much, and the temperature rise passes that critical threshold,” said Dr. Ulrich.

Doctor Andrew Ulrich of Boston Medical Center said he’s seen this quite a bit this summer.

“On certain days, on really hot days, we will see a good 10 to 15 people who are here primarily because of the heat,” said Dr. Ulrich.

He said, in most cases, it’s very preventable especially if you know what to look for.

“They’ve been outside or they’ve even been inside and it’s really hot and they are lethargic, they’re tired and they start to act confused, that’s concerning. If they are not sweating, if they stopped, that’s a concerning thing, because your body is unable to use the sweat to control temperature,” said Dr. Ulrich.

The biggest key to keeping cool is hydration. You should drink lots of water, avoid very cold drinks, because they can cause stomach cramps, don’t drink alcohol and of course, use common sense.

“If you are out working in the sun ‘cause you have to be out there, you need to be aware that, every hour – take a break. Limit the time of day, when it’s really hot, like it’s been in the middle of the day, it’s not the best time to go outside and play,” said Dr. Ulrich.

Doctor Ulrich said sports drinks with added electrolytes are also a good way to re-hydrate on super hot days.